Convertible railway-wagon for carrying cattle or sheep



S. G. ROYCE.

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY WAGON FOR CARRYING CATTLE 0R SHEEP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-6,1920.

1,357,188, Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- IMQvenZ f i y earje j 2 961/ s. a. ROYCE. I CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY WAGON FOR CARRYING CATTLE 0R SHEEP.

0 2 9 1 6 2 b C 0 fl .w m a P 0 2 9 cm N M D H N 0 H. A w H DI A 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- S. G. ROYCE.

CONVERTIBLERAILWAY WAGON FOR CARRYING CATTLEOR SHEEP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-6,1920.

13,357,188, Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- .f 84116 aeor efia cw r i Al ah-We;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYDNEY GEORGE ROYCE, 0F KATANNING', WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE T0 FRANK SNELLGROVE THOMPSON, OF BROOME- HILL, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

Application filed January 6, 1920. Serial No. 349,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY GEORGE Boron, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of the town of Katanning, in the district of Williams, State of lVestern Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, (whose post-office address is Katanning, in the said State of Western Australia,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Railway-lVagons for Carrying Cattle or Sheep, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway wagons used for transporting live stock.

Hitherto-it has been usual to employ separate wagons for sheep and cattle. Sheep are commonly accommodated in superimposed compartments having sides formed of longitudinal or vertical bars. Cattle, however, are generally accommodated in trucks having closed sides with ventilation spaces between the tops of the sides and the roof. Sheep could be transported in cattle wagons, but it obviously would not be economicalto do so. Cattle, however, cannot be transported in sheep wagons owing to the structural features thereof.

The object of this invention is to provide a convertible wagon capable of being employed for transporting either sheep or cattle. The invention is applicable to existing or to new wagons, is comparatively cheap in first cost and maintenance, possesses but few parts, and those not liable to derangement, and does not require special tools or skilled labor to convert the wagon from a sheep to a cattle truck or vice versa. In addition, the wagon may be more easily and thoroughly cleaned than has been the casev with the usual cattle trucks hitherto em ployed. 7

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a wagon according to the invention, parts being omitted and broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan of a wagon according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the body of a wagon according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional end elevation of carriage 3 having a platform or floor 4:. Up- 7 standing from each side of the platform 4 are a series of standards 5 extending between which are a number of bars 6 forming sides. Mounted upon the bars 6 and extending between the standards 5 are shielding boards or plates 7 to prevent sheep injuring themselves. Upstanding from the platform 4 are two ends 8 preferably closed. Above the sides and ends is a roof 9.

' Formed in each side of the wagon at or near each end thereof is a cattle doorway closed by an outwardly hinging door 10 mounted upon suitable hinges 11. Below each door 10 is an outwardly hinging drop door 12 having suitable hinges 13. .The doors 10 and 12 may be retained closed by any suitable fastenings.

Formed in and at or near the middle of each side of the wagon are also upper and lower sheep doorways. Each sheep doorway is closed by a sheep door 14 preferably of a sliding character. Each door 14: may be retained closed in any ordinary manner.

Formed in each end 8 is an upper and a lower sheep transfer doorway. Each upper doorway is closed by an upper door 15 below which is an outwardly hinging drop door 16. Each lower doorway is closed by a lower door 17 below which is an outwardly hinging drop door 18. The upper and lower doors 15 and 17 at one end of the wagon are adapted to swing or hinge in the opposite direction to those at the other end of the wagon so that when two wagons are coupled together a transfer passage-way may be formed by opening the transfer doors.

Upstanding from the platform 4 are a series of upright guides 19. Each guide passes through a guide hole in the sliding member 20 of a rising and falling hinge. Formed in each sliding member is a pin hole. Mounted in the pin hole of each sliding member 20 is a hinge pin 21. Each hinge pin 21 is also accommodated in pin holes formed in a strap 22 (Figs. 5 and 6).. Each strap 22 is secured by bolts 23 to a floor section hereinafter described.

Disposed within the wagon is a plurality of major drop floor sections 24. Each section 24hasmounted thereon a series of foot cleats 25. Each section 24 may also be provided with one or more inner eye rings 26 and one or more outer eye rings 27 (Fig. 4)

- Upstanding from the platform 4 adjacent each standard 5 is a bearer support 28 hav ing at its upper end a recess or socket indicated at 29. V

' Extending between the bearer supports 28 and accommodated by the recesses 29 therein are lateral bearers 30 cambered at their centers. The bearers 30 support the major sections 24 when the latter are in use as a floor. r

Disposed opposite each cattle doorway is a minor floor section 31 secured by hinges 32 to the corresponding end 8 of the wagon.

Each section 31 may be provided with any suitable retaining clasp or clasps'. Disposed beneath each section 31 are longitudinal bearers 33. Suitable and additional supports for the bearers 33 may be provided 7 or they may rest in suitable sockets or recesses formed in ad acent lateral bearers 30.

Secured by hinges 34 (Fig. 4) at or near the roof 9 at each side of the wagon is a drop side 35. Each side 35 may be formed in sections, if so desired. The sides 35 do not extend past the cattle doorways. Each side 35 is provided with suitable means to' hold it in upward or folded position as in full lines in Fig. 4. Between the upper edgebf each side 35 and the roof 9 of the wagon, when the sides 35 are in use as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 is a ventilation space indicated at 37. V

Mounted in suitable bearings 381113011 the v roof 9 is a plurality of worm shafts 39 (one for each major drop floor section). Mounted upon each shaft 39 is a worm wheel 40, engaged by a worm 41 carried by a hand shaft 42. Also mounted upon each shaft 39 are winding drums 43 attached to each of which is the upper end 44 of a lifting chain or rope, the lower end 45 of which is connected with the eye rings 26 or 27 l/Vhen it is desired to employ the wagon for the transportation of sheep, the lower ends 45 of the lifting chains are attached to the eye rings 26. The hand shafts 42 are rotated, operating the drums 43 and raising the major floor sections 24. The sliding members 20 move upwardly along the guides 19. When the sections have been sufliciently V raised, the lateral bearers 30 are placed in position upon the supports 28. The major sections 24 are then lowered into the position shown in Fig. 4. The'cattle doors 10 are closed. The sheep enter through the doors 14 and, if desired, may be transferred from one wagon to another'through the "coupled wagons.

transfer doorways in the ends of the wagon. The upper and lower doors 15 and 17 when opened form in conjunction with the drop doors 16 and 18 a passage between two The minor floor sections are not raised and lowered bodily, but

simply dropped from a folded position against the ends of the wagon, the longitudinal bearers 33 being first placed in position.

Shoulditbe desired to employ the wagon for cattle, the major floor sections should first be slightly elevated by means of the winding gear described. The bearers 30 and 33 are removed' Any suitable brackets or the like may be disposed within the wagon to retain the said bearers in suitable position against the wagon sides. The minor floor sections 31 are pushed upwardly or folded against the ends 8 of the wagon and secured in an upright position. By attaching the lower ends 45 of the lifting chain to the outer eye rings 27 and manipulating the winding gear, the major fioor sections 24 may be permitted to slide downwardly at the same'time folding against the sides of the wagon. The said sections do not reach to the platform 4, a cleaning space being permitted to remain between the bottom of the sections and the floor. As it is necessary when transporting cattle that they be inclosed for a height of approximately six feet, that is, a greater height than the width of the major section the drop sides 35 are lowered. The sides 35 and major sections are retained in an upright position by any suitable fastenings.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.111 a convertible wagon for cattle or sheep, the combination with a platform and a set of horizontal bearers supported in elevated position thereabove, of a pair of companion, longitudinally-arranged floor ing a pair of windingdrums at its ends which are flexibly connected with the cor responding section to raise and lower the same. V

2. In a convertible wagon for cattle or sheep, the combination with a platform, a set of bearers and means for removably supporting said bearers in elevated position above the platform, of apair of companion floorsections' extending'the major portion sections having sliding hinge mountings to p of the length of the wagon and having slidinghinge mountings to permit them to be raised bodily and swung into vertical position in juxtaposed relation to the adjacent side walls of the wagon; mechanism mounted upon the roof of the car above each said floor section and embodying a pair of longitudinal shafts, one for each section, each shaft having a pair of winding drums at its ends which are flexibly connected with the corresponding section to raise and lower the same; and a plurality of minor floor sections arranged ateach end of the wagon and hingedly connected to the end Walls thereof to swing alternatively into a posi- 15 tion in which they rest horizontally upon said bearers and into one in which they are disposed against said end walls, said major and minor sections conjointly formin an elevated floor when occupying their zontal position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SYDNEY GEORGE ROYCE.

Witness A. D. SMITH.

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